Sweet Revenge
by RedRaiderHottie
Summary: AU Inspired by the novel Sweet Revenge by Nora Roberts. Full Summary Inside!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **_**The Secret Life of the American Teenager**_** and all its characters are the sole creation of Brenda Hampton. I OWN NOTHING.**

**Author's Note: Since I still don't have my writer's journals, it's hard for me to continue my other stories at this time. But the inspiration bug has hit, and I've had the urge to write and that led to a new story. Some of my readers may remember this story idea from before. Enjoy.**

**Summary: AU Inspired by the novel **_**Sweet Revenge**_** by Nora Roberts. It's been 15 years since Ricky Underwood has escaped his father – he's spent the last 10 years planning his revenge. But what happens when he encounters the beautiful and mysterious Amy Juergens? Will love or lust for a pretty girl spoil his plans? **

**Thanks to my awesome friend and beta J**_**azzy**_**…**

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><p><strong>Chapter 1: Prologue<strong>

_**Present day…**_

Detective Ruben Enriquez cautiously walks into the barren apartment. "Hello," he calls out, "Anyone here?" He closes the door and steps further into the room.

"Have a seat," a soft lilting voice says from the other room. Ruben looks around and sighs as he spots a small raggedy table with two matching chairs on either side of it. He heads toward it and just as he sits down a small pretty woman, dressed in dark jeans and a white blouse, walks into the room holding a full glass.

"Drink?" she asks when she's standing in front of the detective. He nods and takes the offered glass of tea.

"Is this your place?" Ruben inquires after taking a sip of the sweet ice tea. The woman shakes her head as she sits in the chair opposite him. "Whose is it?" he asks, placing the glass on the table between them.

"A friend's," she answers, shrugging her shoulder as she glances around the apartment.

Ruben rolls his eyes. "Whatever." Sitting straighter, he stares at the younger woman across from him. "So, why'd you ask me here?"

She takes a deep breath and turns to stare into the detectives eyes. "I'm done."

"Pardon me?" Ruben asks, taken aback.

"You heard me," the woman retorts.

Ruben's brows furrow questioningly. "So you've caught him?"

"No," she deadpans.

Detective Ruben stands and looks down at the surprisingly relaxed female. "Then what's the problem? You agreed to the job. Are you backing out?"

She sighs and fiddles with the silver ring on her finger. "It's complicated." The detective mirrors her sigh as he returns to his seat. "And besides," she continues, "he's not going to be a problem anymore."

Ruben rolls his eyes. "How so?"

"Because he's decided to retire," she says, running a hand through her long brown hair.

Ruben scoffs. "What kind of thief re-" he stops when he notices the amusing glare on his companion's face. "Oh…yeah." He shakes his head. "But you're different."

"Sure," she laughs, shaking her head. She stands and begins to slowly pace around the room. Ruben watches her suspiciously.

"You're not telling me something," he states. She stops and turns toward the detective.

"Do you know who Robert Underwood is?"

Ruben shrugs. "Of course, he's a multi-billionaire, head of several mega-corporations-"

"-And the king of the multi-billion criminal organization known as RBU."

"Excuse me?"

"Don't act so ignorant," she shakes her head.

"What's your point?" the detective exasperatedly asks.

"Do you know who the prince of that empire is?"

Ruben shakes his head in the negative. "Robert Underwood has no legitimate children and therefore no heirs."

The ex-thief laughs coldly. "Actually he does." Ruben leans back in shock. "Let me tell you a story detective."

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><p>AN: Hope you liked it so far! Please Review! Hope to have chapter 2 up soon!<p>

-Nichelle


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **_**The Secret Life of the American Teenager**_** and all its characters are the sole creation of Brenda Hampton. I OWN NOTHING.**

**Summary: AU Inspired by the novel **_**Sweet Revenge**_** by Nora Roberts. It's been 15 years since Ricky Underwood has escaped his father – he's spent the last 10 years planning his revenge. But what happens when he encounters the beautiful and mysterious Amy Juergens? Will love or lust for a pretty girl spoil his plans? **

**Thanks to my awesome friend and beta J**_**azzy**_**…**

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><p><strong>Chapter 2<strong>

_**New York, NY 20 years ago…**_

Five-year-old Richard "Ricky" Underwood tosses and turns on his bed. After a while, he sits up with a groan. Rubbing his eyes with his knuckles, he looks around his huge room. The overly blue-hue decorated room is too large for any kid and filled with every possible toy.

Ricky rolls onto his belly and grabs a stuffed toy off the floor – his favorite. It's a huge white tiger named 'Robby.' It was the last toy that his grandfather, Robert Underwood, Sr., gave him before the man went to "the big house" – that's what his mom called it.

Ricky held the tiger close as he climbed out of bed and left his room. They lived in a large house – a mansion – in the outskirts of New York City. There were far too many rooms in Ricky's opinion, especially since he wasn't allowed to enter most of them. The basement was completely off-limits to him.

Ricky lived with his mother, father and granny. His grandpa had lived there too but that was before he had to leave. Then there were his father's and grandpa's colleagues, who seemed to be at the house all hours of the day, any day of the week, whenever they pleased.

Ricky walks up to a door down the hall from his room. "Mommy," he calls out when he enters the room. The room was even larger than his own and was poshly decorated in purples and gold. Ricky walks over to the large four-poster bed and frowns when he finds it empty. Still clutching 'Robby' to his chest, Ricky continues his search for his mother.

Ricky is about to descend their grand staircase, when he hears yelling from one of the forbidden rooms. Holding Robby's paw in one hand, the tiger falls down to his side. He steps closer to it, pressing his ear to the door.

"What have I told you about interfering in business that doesn't concern you?" Ricky's father's voice rings clear through the door.

"I'm your wife," a shaky voice retorts. Ricky smiles at having now found his mother.

"Wife my ass," a cold laugh is heard from his father. "You're just the slut who got pregnant."

As quietly as he could, Ricky slightly opens the door and peaks inside. The room is dark, with a single lamp on a coffee table barely illuminating the room. Nora sits in a black upholstered chair. Robert has his hands firmly placed on the arms of the chair, effectively trapping Nora.

"Either way," Nora's voice is still shaky, "I'm the mother of your only son. And this deal you're planning is-" BAM

Ricky watches in horror as his mother's head snaps back to the right. Bob reaches his right hand back, preparing to slap Nora again, when Ricky barges into the room.

"Dad! Nooooo!" Ricky yells as he runs toward his mother's frozen form. Before he can reach her, Bob roughly shoves the boy to the ground, sending Robby the tiger flying.

"What the hell are you doing in here?" Bob angrily shots as the he stares down at Ricky, whose eyes have filled with tears. "Have I not told you plenty of times that this room is off limits?" Bob moves to kick Ricky.

"Bob! Nooo!" Nora jumps between the two, covering Ricky. She grunts when Bob's kick connects with her ribs. Bob stares down at them with disgust before leaving the room, kicking at the stuffed tiger on his way out. Nora remains completely still until she realizes her son is shaking from his sobs. She pulls him into her chest, cradling him, and rocks him back and forth.

_**Present Day…**_

"Wait, wait, wait…Nora?" Detective Enriquez interrupts. "Nora Underwood? But isn't she and her son-" Ruben stops talking at the glare he receives from his deceivingly small companion.

"Do you want to hear the story or not?" she hisses as she plays with the necklace pendant around her neck. Ruben nods, remaining silent. "Ok, now where was I…"

_**Chicago, IL 20 years ago…**_

Four-year-old Amy Juergens lies on her bed and stares out her window. Staring up at the stars, she's amazed by how many there are. In her head, she points out the North Star. Then, reaching out with her hand, she traces along the big dipper. She smiles as she remembers the night when her dad told her all about the constellations.

In another room, a door opens and a man dressed entirely in black enters the apartment. At the sound of the door, Amy gasps slightly before she rolls onto her back and pulls the blanket up over her head. The man places a large duffle bag down on an arm chair, then moves to stand in the doorway of the bedroom. He smiles at the sight of the bundle under the covers.

"Amy, baby," George Juergens coos, "are you asleep?"

The bundle wiggles slightly. "Yep yep," a high-pitch voice replies.

George laughs, shaking his head, and walks over to sit on the edge of the bed. "Of course you are," he chuckles.

"Daddy," the little girl exclaims, throwing off the cover and wrapping her arms around her father's neck.

"Hey baby girl," he says, hugging his daughter tight. "Were you a good girl while daddy was at work?"

Amy nods her head enthusiastically. "How was work today, daddy? Did you get me something pretty?"

George's smile widens as he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small velvet pouch. "Of course I did, sweetie."

"Really? Really?" Amy shouts excitedly as she grabs for the bag. She opens it and peaks inside. "WOW! It's so pretty daddy," she says as she pulls out an amethyst heart-shaped diamond attached to a silver chain. "Is it real?" she asks as she stares into the stone.

George laughs. "It sure is. Daddy didn't work hard for nothing," he says as he gently places the necklace around her neck. "There were lots of cameras and a digitally locked vault and even two dogs." Amy giggles as she snuggles closer to her father.

"But you did it, daddy, you got through," Amy says proudly as she stares up at her father with admiration. "Will you teach me how?"

George holds his daughter close as he begins to rock her back and forth. "Yup, I'll teach you everything I know."

_**New York, NY 20 years ago…**_

Ricky quietly sits on his mother's large bed as he watches his grandma Rose tape up his mom's bruised ribs.

"This really is your fault you know," his grandma scolds softly. "You just keep pushing his buttons wrong."

Nora rolls her eyes, ignoring the old woman. "Thank you, Rose," she says stiffly as she pulls down her shirt. Rose nods and offers a sweet smile to Ricky before quickly leaving the room.

Nora sighs deeply, a large frown marring her face. She turns to her son and holds out her arms. Ricky crawls into them and lays his head on his mom's chest as she wraps her arms around him.

"I'm so sorry, baby," Nora says as she rocks Ricky back and forth. "You don't deserve this." Ricky looks up at his mom with wide innocent eyes.

"I love you, mommy," Ricky smiles up at his mom as he snuggles closer to her.

Nora returns the smile as tears start to fill her eyes. "I love you too, baby, so much. And I promise you – if it's the last thing I do – I'm going to take you away from this place. Away from this life, this dungeon of a house and that man."

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><p>AN: Hope you liked it! Please Review!<p>

-Nichelle


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **_**The Secret Life of the American Teenager**_** and all its characters are the sole creation of Brenda Hampton. I OWN NOTHING.**

**AN: Thanks to all those who read and review: Ellee, Romi, prettyinpink21, dajabbers, maybebaby23, Preetoaka Raven Potter Weasley, and Nikki Gargol**

**And of course thanks to my awesome friend and beta J**_**azzy**_**…**

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><p><strong>Chapter 3<strong>

_**New York, NY 15 years ago…**_

10-year-old Rickie barges into the house with his backpack in tow. As usual, the house is void of any of his father's cronies at this time of the day. He heads up the stairs and toward his mother's room.

"Mom," he shouts, "I'm home." Entering her room, Rickie immediately freezes. "M-mom?" he hesitantly asks. "W-what's going on?"

Nora doesn't even skip a beat when her son enters the room. She just keeps up the continuous movement of folding and placing her clothes into the suitcase propped open on her bed. "Go pack, sweetie," she says not even looking up from her task. "We don't have much time."

Rickie shakes his head disbelievingly. "B-but mom?" Nora sighs as she looks up at her son. Rickie gasps, even though he's not entirely shocked to see his mother sporting a huge shiner on her right eye. _That wasn't there when I left for school, _Rickie thinks to himself.

"I made a promise to you," Nora softly starts, "years ago, that I'd take you away from all of this. I-" Nora stops as she takes a step closer to her son. "We don't deserve to live like this – in fear of our own lives. You deserve better."

Rickie nods slowly as he lifts a hand and points to his mom's face. "What happened?"

Nora sharply turns to the side, blocking her son's view of the black eye. "Nothing you need to worry about, baby. Now please, go pack." Nora continues with her packing. At first, Rickie hesitates, but then starts to leave. Stopping at the door, he turns back to his mother. "I love you, mommy."

Nora freezes. Looking up, she offers her son a reassuring smile. "I love you too, baby." Rickie smiles before leaving and going to his own bedroom.

Rickie walks into his room and abruptly stops when he sees his Grandma Rose packing a bag on his bed. "Grandm-"

"Shhhh," Rose holds up a finger to her lips. She waves Rickie over and motions for him to help her pack his things. For awhile, they work together in silence and it's not too long before they've packed Rickie's clothes and anything else deemed important.

Rose walks over to one of the closets and pulls down 'Robbie,' Rickie's stuffed tiger. As she hands it to him, she softly says, "Let this be a reminder to you that your grandpa and I have and will always love you."

Ricky takes the tiger and holds it close. "Are you coming with us grandma?" Rose's eyes close as she shakes her head in the negative. Rickie steps closer to her and wraps his arms around her waist. "I love you."

Rose returns the hug as she fights back the tears that threaten to fall from her eyes. "Take care of you mother." Rickie pulls back and cocks his head to the side in confusion. However, Rose doesn't further explain and he simply nods his head in agreement.

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><p><em><strong>Chicago, IL 15 years ago…<strong>_

9-year old Amy squeals excitedly as the black mustang peels out of the lot. "Woohoo!" she yells as the car goes faster and faster. Amy turns in her seat and looks at the duffle bag George had thrown back there when he had jumped into the car. Having toppled over, Amy can see some of the jewels peaking out. Amy looks over at her father and smiles happily. "Thanks for bringing me with you to work, daddy."

George smiles but keeps his eyes firmly on the road ahead of him as he speeds along. "No problem, baby girl. And besides, with you here, the job went perfectly."

Amy's smile brightens as she turns to look out the passenger side window. "Look daddy, a helicopter," Amy says elatedly.

George starts to smile but it quickly fades away. "Wait, what?" he shouts as he swiftly glances to the side. "Oh shit!" he panics, pressing the gas pedal harder as he urges the car to go faster.

"What's wrong, daddy?" Amy asks with wide eyes, but her voice is drowned out by the sound of sirens from the multiple police cars that are now chasing them.

"Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit…" George mutters. With panicked eyes, he looks down at his daughter. "Amy, sweetie, get in the backseat." The small girl nods her head and scrambles into the backseat. "Seatbelt, please…and stay low, 'kay." Amy buckles the middle seatbelt around her waist and huddles down next to the duffle bag filled with cash and jewels.

"THIS IS THE POLICE! PULL YOU VEHICLE OVER NOW!" George curses some more as he pushes the mustang faster. The car swerves as George narrowly avoids a cop car trying to block him. "AGAIN THIS IS THE POLICE! PULL OVER NOW OR ELSE!" the officer in the chopper warns through his megaphone. Ignoring the warning, George sharply turns onto a side road, with the police cars and helicopter not too far behind him.

Amy screams when the loud sound of gun shots fills the air and the back window shatters. "DADDY?" Amy wails.

"Stay down baby, it'll be over soon," the usually calm but now scared and panicked George yells back. More shots are fired and a loud POP resounds. "DAMN IT!" George curses as the mustang falters due to the blown out tire.

"Daddy, daddy, daddy," Amy continuously cries out, her eyes bloodshot and face puffy from her desperate and scared tears. The sound of gunshots is loud and constant in her eyes.

Suddenly, Amy is rendered silent and immobile when something wet and warm splashes on her. A split second later the loud eerie sound of metal crumbling is heard as the car comes to a crushing halt. What seems like hours later – but is really a few seconds – Amy opens her eyes and quickly focuses them on her unmoving father.

"Daddy!" Amy shouts as she jumps into the front seat and stares wide-eyed at all the blood. "Daddy, please…wake up!" she cries.

George groans softly and painfully as his eyes barely open. "A-amy…" he croaks, his voice hoarse.

"Daddy!" Amy cries out happily.

"I'm…I'm…sorry, baby girl." Amy frowns as she starts to shake her head defiantly. "I'll always love you."

"No daddy," Amy wails, violently shaking her head, "don't leave me."

George slowly reaches up and places a bloody hand against his daughter's face, forcing her to stop shaking her head. "Don't forget…about the…the chest…" George's eyes close as his hand falls from Amy's face. "I love you," he sighs before his breathing stops entirely.

Amy's eyes fill with tears and everything around her becomes a blur. Her surroundings fade into nothingness and all she can see is her father's lifeless body. That's all she can see – all she can think about – even as the police pull her away.

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><p><em><strong>Sacremento, CA<strong>_

Ricky follows his mom off the bus he spent the last few days on. He frowns as he looks around at his new surroundings. _I want to go home,_ he thinks. Ricky obediently takes his suitcase his mother holds out for him, then, with his head down, he follows her into the bus station.

"NORA!" Ricky's head snaps up just in time to see his mom throw down her bag and run into the arms of an unfamiliar woman. After hugging her for some time, Nora lets go, turns around and waves him over. Ricky sighs as he picks up his mom's discarded bag and makes his way over to them.

"Ollie, this is my son, Ricky. Baby, this is Ollie, my best friend from high school. Ricky smiles timidly at the woman. "She's going to let us live with her," Nora adds excitedly. Ricky's eyes widen slightly but he says nothing as he follows them out to a car.

Twenty or so minutes later, the car pulls up in front of a small and modest house. Ricky frowns as he unconsciously compares the house to his father's mansion.

"This is great!" Nora exclaims as she jumps out of the car. "And homey. Very homey. So much better than our last place." Ricky's frown deepens, even though, in reality, he can't help but to agree.

Ollie shows them around the house. "And that…" she says looking at Ricky as she points to the room across from the bathroom, "is going to be your room."

"Go ahead and check it out, sweetie," Nora encourages. Ricky nods his head and goes to open the door while his mom and Ollie walk over to Nora's room next door to his.

Ricky walks into his room and plops onto the bed, leaning against the wall.

"You think he'll be happy here?" Ricky hears Ollie ask in the other room.

"I hope so," Nora replies. "It's a whole lot better than living with _**him**_."

"And what are you going to do about him?"

"The only thing I can do, I guess." Ricky presses his ear against the wall as he waits for his mom to continue. "Get a lawyer and file for divorce." Ricky's eyes close for a second when his mom's voice cracks on her last word. He lies down on his bed and stares up at the plain white ceiling.

"I promise mom," he says softly to himself. "I promise to be happy here, for your sake."

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><p><em><strong>Chicago, IL<strong>_

Amy stands stoically, blankly staring straight ahead as her father's casket is lowered into the ground. Ever since she was pulled away from the car wreckage and her dead father's body, Amy had been in a catatonic-like state. She was completely unaware of her surroundings as they took her into Child Protective Service's custody. For the past the days, she was just there with a blank face and unseeing eyes. She wasn't even "awake" when they put the black dress she is wearing now over her head and she remained unresponsive throughout her father's small, unorganized funeral.

Once the casket is fully in the ground, a woman takes Amy's hand and pulls her away from the gravesite. A tall man walks beside them on Amy's other side.

"Now what?" the woman asks the man.

"Well, we managed to track down her biological mother," the man answers. "She's agreed to take Amy. Her flight out is tomorrow morning."

Amy stops walking, firmly planning her feet into the ground. "No," she mumbles, shaking her head. The two social workers look down at her in shock – as that's the first word they've heard her speak.

The woman bends down to be eye level with the girl. "What's wrong, sweetie?"

"No," Amy says louder, fiercely shaking her head.

The woman glances up at her coworker before returning her gaze to Amy. "No what, Amy?"

Amy wrenches her hand out of the woman's grasp and loudly shouts "NO!" before running away.

She quickly loses the two adults who chased after her, due to her excellent knowledge of the city's ins and outs – thanks to her father.

Fifteen minutes later, Amy runs through the front door of her and her father's apartment. She heads for her dad's closet, and pulls out a chest from the back of it. Opening it, she gasps.

In one compartment, there are stacks and stacks of cash, in both large and small bills. In another compartment, there are tools of her father's trade. Some of the items she has hands-on-experience with, while others she had only heard about from her father. Taped to the inside of the lid to the chest, is an envelope with her name on it. Amy pulls it off and carefully opens it

_My dearest Amy,_

_If you're reading this, then I'm probably in jail or no longer a part of this world. Please forgive me for leaving you, baby girl. We didn't even get to finish your training, and I'm sorry. I want you to know that I love you…_

Silent tears slide down Amy's face as she reads her father's last words to her.

…_Be strong, baby girl. Remember, I love you. And if you ever feel alone, just look at the stars and think of me. Make me proud, Amy._

_Love you always,_

_Daddy_

Amy returns the letter to the envelope and re-tapes it to the inside of the chest. As she closes the chest, her face hardens with determination. _I'll make you proud, daddy,_ she thinks as she grabs a duffle bag and starts packing clothes and other essentials.

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><p>AN: So I know 9 may seem a lil too young for a kid to be going off on their own. But this Amy is tough and was forced to grow up fast, so just go with it lol Hope you liked it! Please Review!<p>

-Nichelle


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **_**The Secret Life of the American Teenager**_** and all its characters are the sole creation of Brenda Hampton. I OWN NOTHING.**

**AN: Sorry for the wait. Thanks to all those who read and reviewed: Preetoaka Raven Potter Weasley, LaylaRainy13, .stars, prettyinpink21, RomiWinnie, tast3the3RaiiNBOW, ntina malfoy**

**This is an unbetad chapter, I apologize for any major mistakes…**

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><p><strong>Chapter 4<strong>

_**Present day…**_

Detective Ruben holds out a handkerchief and Amy takes it gratefully. "I'm sorry," Ruben says slowly.

Amy wipes her tears and shakes her head. "Don't be, it happened."

Ruben tilts his head to the side. "So that's when you started? At such a young age?"

Amy shrugs her shoulders. "I had to grow up quickly." A small smile forms on Amy's lips. "And plus being young and small was quite an advantage," she says with a wink of her eye.

Ruben rolls his eyes at the reminiscent glee he sees in the former thief's eyes.

"So, what happened next? Did you ever go see your mother?"

Amy nods her head. "I went to visit her a few years later." Amy frowns. "She said she left me and my dad when she found out she was pregnant with my sister. Said she didn't want to be a part of the thieving world anymore. I wasn't even two yet."

Ruben also frowns, his eyebrows furrowing deeply. "But you're her child too. She just left you."

Amy shrugs. "That's what I said."

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><p><em><strong>13 years ago, California…<strong>_

12 year old Ricky jumps off the bus and quickly heads for the house. Walking through the front door, he hears voices coming from the kitchen.

"I can't f***ing believe this," Nora groans loudly.

"What's it say?" he hears Ollie ask softly. Ricky walks closer to the room and quietly looks in. The two ladies sit at the kitchen table with their backs toward him. His mom is holding some important looking legal documents.

Nora sighs angrily as she slams down the papers onto the table. "The good news is that Bob and I are finally officially divorced."

Ollie wraps her arms around Nora's shoulders. "And the bad news?"

"I get nothing!" Nora shrieks loudly, causing both Ollie and Ricky to jump in surprise.

Ollie rubs Nora's shoulders in a calming manner. "What do you mean?" she inquires gently.

"I mean nothing. Abso-f***ing-lutely nothing." Nora shaks her head and roughly runs her hands through her hair. "I don't even care about the damn money." Nora takes a deep breath. "I really just wanted my necklace. I mean, he did give it to me as a f***ing wedding gift, for goodness sake."

Ricky frowns as he watches his mom burst into tears. Walking away, Ricky angrily thinks about the man who continues to cause his mom pain.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Present day…<strong>_

"What necklace?" Ruben interrupts.

Amy sighs and rolls her eyes. "You know, the famous _Baiser Papillon."_

"The Butterfly Kiss?" Ruben's eyes widen. "That's worth millions."

Amy nods. "It rightfully belongs to Nora, but with all the lawyers and judges Bob paid off, she was unable to obtain it."

* * *

><p><em><strong>12 years ago, California…<strong>_

Ricky stares out his bedroom window and watches a man walks down the drive way and to his car. It's Saturday afternoon and that's the third man he's seen entering and leaving the house today. Ricky frowns as he leaves his room and heads for the kitchen. Standing just inside the doorway, he watches as his mom stuffs a handful of cash into her pocket before reaching into a high cabinet and pulling out a glass bottle half full of golden brown liquor. She quickly uncaps it and takes two huge gulps directly from the bottle.

"Mom?"

Nora spins around and hides the bottle behind her back. "Hey baby…What's wrong?" she asks when she sees the frown on her son's face.

Ricky slowly shakes his head. "Are you ok?"

Nora opens her mom wide into a fake toothy smile. "Of course, baby. Now why don't you got to your room and do your homework."

"I'm done," Ricky deadpans.

"Oh," Nora's head snaps to the side as the doorbell rings. She grabs the newspaper off the table and hands it to Ricky. "Go read this then."

Ricky takes it and heads for his room, glancing at the front door suspiciously.

After he's closed his door, he throws the paper on his bed, causing it to flip open. Ricky stares with wide eyes at the bold print headline.

**Thief Continues to Cause Chaos in New York**

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><p><em><strong>New York…<strong>_

A small figure, covered from head to toe in black, scales down the side of a 20-story building. As it reaches the top of the third floor, police sirens can be heard in the distance.

"Shit," escapes from the cloth covered mouth as the thief takes off the bag from its back and drops it to the ground. After double checking the quality of the ground, the figure lets go of the building. The lithe body falls through the air before gracefully landing in a crouching position. Quickly grabbing the bag, the figure dashes down an alleyway and away from the building. The thief starts to slow down just before another siren can be heard, closer now.

"Crap," the figure curses, picking up speed again.

Breaking rule number 1, the thief looks back only to see unpleasant flashing red and blue lights. Ducking into another alley, and temporarily ditching the cop car, the thief heads for a bridge at full speed. Just as it reaches the other side, a cop car screeches to a stop at the bridge exit.

A young officer Ruben jumps out of the car and points his gun. "Don't move! And hands up." Slim, spandex covered arms are raised into the air as the figure slowly takes a few steps back toward the bridge railing. "I said don't move!" officer Ruben repeats, his hands slightly shaking while holding his gun. The thief tilts its head to the side before giving a small ginger wave causing the cop's jaw to drop slightly. With the given opportunity, the thief runs the rest of the way to the edge of the bridge and dives off.

Broken out of his shocked reverie, Ruben runs to the railing and stares down into the dark water.

An apartment door slams open, and the soaking wet black covered figure steps inside, closing the door quickly. With a disgusted grunt, the thief pulls off the soggy mask to reveal the flushed face of 12 year old Amy.

She shakes her head as walks to the bathroom. "Well, that didn't go as planned," she giggles as she looks into the mirror. "But that cop was really cute."

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><p><strong>AN: Ok so this is shorter than originally planned, but I really wanted to post this part now since the unwritten remainder of the chapter is gonna be a bit hard to write and who knows how long that'll take to finish. Well, I hope yall enjoyed. Please review!<strong>

**-Nichelle**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: **_**The Secret Life of the American Teenager**_** and all its characters are the sole creation of Brenda Hampton. I OWN NOTHING.**

**AN: So So so sorry for the wait. I know I'm the worst person. And I know excuses suck. But I'm working full time and working on my master's full time so it's really hard to find inspiration and the time to write. But finally I got a lil breather and yay a new chapter. **

**This is an unbetad chapter; I apologize for any major mistakes…**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 5<strong>

_**Present day…**_

Ruben smiles teasingly at her. "So, you thought I was cute, huh?"

Amy rolls her eyes. "Oh give me a break, I was 12."

* * *

><p><em><strong>11 years ago, California…<strong>_

14 year old Ricky walks up his driveway, happily noting that all the lights are off at his house. "Good, they're asleep," he mutters to himself. He quickly unlocks and opens the front door, steps inside and quietly closes the door behind him. Just as he's making his way through the living room, silently celebrating another night of not getting caught, a lamp is suddenly turned on, causing him to freeze.

"Where have you been?" Ricky spins on his heels to find Ollie sitting in one of the recliners.

"What?" Ricky replies, scratching the back of his head.

Ollie shakes her head. "You heard me. Don't make me ask twice."

"I-uh-I got a job," is his premeditated response.

Ollie raises one of her eyebrows. "A job?" Ricky nods his head as Ollie's eyes scan over his entirely black attire and black backpack. "Doing what?"

Ricky shrugs. "I work at a funeral home." Ollie's brow furrows. "I clean up after night services. That's why I've been coming home late," he explains.

"I see," Ollie says, not fully believing the boy. "Well, ok then."

"Ok then," Ricky repeats as he turns around and heads for the kitchen. He stops short when he notices a couple of empty liquor bottles in the trash. "Uh, Ollie, where's my mom?"

"Asleep, why?" Ollie says over her shoulder as she walks down the hall to her room.

"No reason," Ricky says, frowning at the bottles.

* * *

><p><em><strong>10 years ago, New York…<strong>_

14 year old Amy, covered head to toe in black, walks toward the private bank. This particular bank is well known to cater to the city's mafia and gangsters and rumor has it that one of the top dogs recently made a huge deposit. Amy smiles as she boldly walks up to the front entrance, ready to disarm their surprisingly weak security system.

"Hold it right there!"

Amy shakes her head, smile still in place, as she instantly recognizes the voice of the cop who has made it his mission, this past year, to catch her.

"Hello, Ruben," Amy says with a soft giggle as she turns around. She isn't surprised to find the cop's gun pointing at her. "Now now," Amy tsks, "guns aren't very nice." Amy laughs as she quickly surveys the area. "No back up?"

Ruben stands his ground as Amy bravely starts to walk toward him. "Don't move," he states firmly. "And remove the mask."

Amy stops and shrugs her shoulders. "Whatever." She slowly lifts her right to the back of her head and pulls off the mask, allowing her long brown hair to flow over her shoulders.

Ruben's jaw drops as he sees the face of the infamous thief for the first time. "So young…How-how old are you?"

Amy smiles brightly. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you," she retorts.

"Try me," Ruben quickly fires back, albeit still shocked at the turn of events.

"Ok, I'll make a deal with you. Put away that gun, let's go somewhere less suspicious and I'll tell you."

* * *

><p><em><strong>10 years ago, California…<strong>_

15 year old Ricky walks into his house, quite pleased with his night's profits. Walking into the living room, he spots Ollie sitting on the couch, glaring at the TV.

"I don't like this," she states, turning to stare angrily at him. Ollie had found out the truth of his new "job" a few months, and although she was never happy about it, this is the first time he's seen her so angry about it.

"What do you mean?" Ricky asks nonchalantly.

"This!" Ollie points at the TV where the news is showing a very brief video clip of a black dressed figure scaling down a building. "You're climbing walls now?!"

Ricky smiles as he nods his head. "It's actually really fun."

Ollie frowns, shaking her head. "Why are you even doing this?"

The smile instantly leaves Ricky's face. "'Cause we need the money."

"What about the money your fa-"

"I DON'T WANT IT!" Ricky shouts, unaware of how loud he actually is. "I DON'T EVER WANT ANYTHING FROM THAT MAN!" He bitterly adds. Angry tears are falling from his eyes as he storms out of the room. He enters his mom's room and finds her passed out on the bed. He stares disdainfully at the empty bottles on the floor as he sits down on the bed. He runs his hands through her hair, as tears continue to cascade down his face. "Why would I want anything from the man who causes you so much pain?"

* * *

><p><em><strong>New York…<strong>_

Amy nervously sits in the metal chair, uneasily glancing around the police station. Ruben notices her fidgeting and smiles comfortingly at her.

"Don't worry. No one knows who you are or what you've done." Amy rolls her eyes, his words providing little to no comfort. Growing up, with a father as a thief, Amy learned that a police station was the last place you ever wanted to be. "What's your name, sweetie?" Amy raises an eyebrow at him. "Come on now, I can't help you, if you don't help me."

"I never asked for help," she deadpans. Ruben waves his hand at their surroundings, reminding her of where exactly she is. With a heavy sigh, she responds, "Amy."

The cop waits for her to continue, shaking his head when she doesn't. "That's it? Just Amy?"

Amy glares at him. "Amy Juergens," she says through gritted teeth.

Ruben freezes. "Juergens," he slowly repeats. "Your father is-"

"Yes," she interrupts.

"Oh," is all he can say. Amy rolls her eyes. Snapping out of his reverie, Ruben types in her name and presses enter. "Hmmm, that's weird." Amy leans closer, slightly intrigued. "According to this, you're in Florida with your mother and sister."

Amy laughs loudly, causing a few glares. "Sorry," she mumbles. Amy shakes her head as she smiles up at Ruben and leans closer to whisper into his ear. "Guess my cop handler was too embarrassed to report that a little girl managed to escape him and instead lied that he had completed his assignment." Amy giggles then sits back in her seat. Crossing her arms, her face becomes void of all emotion. "So, what now?" Ruben looks over at her, biting his lower lip in thought.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Present day…<strong>_

"You never told me exactly why you agreed to retire and become my CI (Confidential Informant)," Ruben states, looking at Amy thoughtfully.

Amy shrugs her shoulders. "Does there have to be a reason?"

"Yes," Ruben deadpans.

Amy laughs. "You know, I love my father and I love being a thief. But all good things must end right?" Ruben nods his head. "Well, eventually you would have caught me – I guess technically you did. So at that point I had a choice to make: 1) Go to juvenile detention or jail 2) end up dead, or 3) start a new life. I decided on a new life."

* * *

><p><em><strong>10 years ago, California…<strong>_

Ollie and Ricky walk into the house carrying groceries and laughing about a joke that Ricky had made.

"Mom!" "Nora!" they both call out. When there's no response, they glance at each other suspiciously.

"Did she go somewhere?" Ricky asks.

"She shouldn't have," Ollie answers as they walk into the kitchen. They're placing the bags on the counter when Ollie spots an official-looking letter on the table. She walks over and picks it up. "Oh no," she gasps. Ricky unceremoniously grabs the paper from her and scans over the printed words. The only words that register to him, however, are "court appeal" and "denied," but that's all it takes from him to run towards the bedroom, yelling "Mom" over and over again, as he goes.

He throws open the bedroom door, runs to the bed and kneels down beside it. Nora limply lies on the bed and is beyond pale. "MOM! MOM! PLEASE WAKE!" Ricky looks around the room, not surprised by the empty liquor bottles but completely devastated at the presence of the empty medicine containers. "NO! NO! NO! MOM PLEASE! PLEASE WAKE UP! YOU CAN'T LEAVE ME! PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME!" Ricky collapses on top of his mom's lifeless body, his own body shaking and overcome by his sobs. In the doorway, Ollie, who had been frozen by fear and shock, collapses against the door frame, uncontrollable tears streaming down her face.

Fifteen minutes later, sirens are heard just before paramedics and cops rush through the house. Ricky has to be pulled away from his mom's body and he vaguely recalls a cop saying that a neighbor had called 911 when they had heard screaming and shouting.

Now outside, Ricky falls to knees as he watches them load the black body bag into the mortuary van. He looks up at the sky with tears still pouring from his eyes. _**I promise you this mom, **_he silently vows, _**if it's the last thing I do, I will have our revenge, one way or another.**_

* * *

><p><strong>AN: :( that last part took forever to write. I hope it reads ok and I hope yall liked this chapter. Please review. Ok, so, this is pretty much the end of the background stories and in the next chapter our two thieves will finally be meeting each other. There's also going to be a kinda big time jump…I'm talking 5 to 8 years after Nora's death. To be honest, I don't know when the next update will be. But please wait for me :). As I've mentioned before, one of my biggest pet peeves is an unfinished story, so my stories will be finished one day lol<strong>

**-Nichelle**


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